4 winners and 3 losers from the Packers’ ugly but important win over the Buccaneers
Green Bay beat Tampa Bay in a road game that wasn’t beautiful by any means, but now the team is 2-2 after four games.
The Green Bay Packers faced the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 4 with a clearly adjusted offensive plan. Short throws, multiple tight end sets, and a new face at right guard changed how Green Bay operated.
It was not beautiful by any means, but the Packers did come out of it with a win 17-14 win, improving to 2-2 in the regular season. So, let’s discuss the winners and losers from the Packers’ game against the Bucs.
Winners
S Evan Williams
If there’s one reason why the Packers won this game, it’s because they have Evan Williams on the roster. The safety had a massive interception early in the game, a pass breakup as well. But mainly, defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon called multiple blitzes from the slot with Williams, and he generated pressure on rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels at some of the most impactful moments of the game. That included a pressure on the last fourth down of the game, when the Buccaneers were close to field goal range.
Alongside Lukas Van Ness, Williams has been the best player on the defense so far this season.
TE Tucker Kraft
This was the first game this season in which the Packers made tight end Tucker Kraft a central part of the gameplan. And that’s because Green Bay tried to be more intentional with short throws to avoid falling behind the sticks.
That approach worked, particularly with Kraft. He had six receptions for 42 yards and a touchdown on seven targets. The yardage wasn’t impressive, but Kraft was a focal point of the plan. That’s a meaningful step for a player who has been important for the Packers over the past few years but hadn’t performed at his normal level through the first three weeks.
TE Mark Redman
Another tight end belongs on this list. Mark Redman had two catches for 29 yards, but his impact went beyond the box score. Redman is a willing blocker, and he delivered solid blocks to open holes in the run game. The Packers acquired him for a seventh-round pick before the regular season, and they are already benefiting from that move. Green Bay used multiple tight end sets often in this game, and Kraft and Redman worked well together.
RG Travis Glover
This one is a surprise. The Packers weren’t expected to start Travis Glover at all. Theoretically, the right guard spot would go to Kevin Zeitler or Donovan Jennings. Zeitler was inactive because he signed with the team too recently to ramp up, and Jennings was the expected starter. Instead, Green Bay played Glover, a tackle-guard hybrid.
It wasn’t a transformative performance by any means, but Glover was fairly effective at right guard. The offensive line took a step forward as a whole. Quarterback Jordan Love was pressured only once in 15 dropbacks in the first half. Considering what the Packers allowed through the first three weeks, that was the line’s best performance in pass protection this season. The quick throws certainly helped the offensive line. But Glover was an upgrade over what Green Bay had at right guard with Jacob Monk through the first three games.
Losers
LB Edgerrin Cooper
This is a massive loss for the Packers. Linebacker Edgerrin Cooper suffered an Achilles injury, was immediately carted off, and was ruled out for the game. It is most likely a ruptured Achilles and a season-ending injury.
Green Bay turned to Isaiah McDuffie at linebacker, and he suffered an eye injury too. As a consequence, the Packers had Ty’Ron Hopper on the field late in the game.
Cooper is one of the best defensive players on the team, and he was having a big game before the non-contact injury. The Packers have already dealt with impactful season-ending injuries to right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele and wide receiver Jayden Reed. Now Cooper is probably out for the season too, another huge blow for this roster.
RB MarShawn Lloyd
Once again, running back MarShawn Lloyd couldn’t take advantage of his opportunities. He had seven carries for only 13 yards, an average of 1.9 yards per carry. Even when he had a solid reception, he fumbled the ball. Luckily for him and the Packers, the ball went out of bounds.
The vision isn’t there, and neither is the explosiveness. Lloyd doesn’t necessarily make big mistakes, but every time the Packers give him the ball, it seems like a lost down. Chris Brooks and Kaleb Johnson also had a hard time running behind this offensive line. The difference between them is that Brooks and Johnson (who also had a fumble) broke some runs, and Lloyd can’t do that. At this point, it’s tough to justify keeping him on the field. In fairness, though, he had a cool leap over a defender late in the fourth quarter, but he followed that with an immediate false start.
WR Bo Melton
Wide receiver Bo Melton is competing for the third receiver spot after Reed was lost for the season with a neck injury. But Melton had a costly third-down drop in the first quarter.
For a player trying to earn snaps, that was a huge play. Opportunities like that don’t come often, and failing to convert hurts. After that, the Packers leaned more on two tight end sets and less on three-receiver alignments, seemingly because they don’t trust Melton as much.
Skyy Moore will also be part of the wide receiver rotation, but he is more important as a returner. Therefore, the No. 3 receiver job was there for Melton to take. Against the Buccaneers, he didn’t make that leap.

